Fresh Asparagus Soup with Herb Croutons | Peggy Lampman's dinnerFeed

Recipe: Fresh Asparagus Soup with Herb Croutons

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 russet potato, peeled and cut to a 1/4-inch dice
1 bunch scallions* or two leeks, white parts only, well washed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, snap or cut off ends (reserve 12-16 thin tips for a garnish)
1 teaspoon tarragon
5 to 7 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Herb Croutons (recipe follows)

Melt the butter or oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the potatoes and scallion or leeks and cook over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus, tarragon and a pinch of kosher salt.
Pour in 5 cups of the stock and bring to a boil; then reduce heat to simmer and cook until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 6-8 minutes. With a food processor or immersion blender, purée the soup. Return to pot and simmer, thinning with additional stock if desired.
In another medium-sized pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook asparagus tips 30-60 seconds until just tender and drain in a colander.
Season soup with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with asparagus tips, reserved scallions if using and herbed croutons (recipe follows).

Time for croutons: 30 minutes (including baking time)

Time for soup: 20 minutes (if using premade stock)

Number of servings (yield): 4 servings

Recipe: Herb Croutons

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Toss bread cubes with olive oil and herbs. Spread croutons on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake on middle rack of oven about 20 minutes or until golden brown. For even browning, turn croutons once during baking time.